Baking-powder Biscuits and Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a good hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add the bacon fat and stir until mixed.
Quickly add cold water until you have a smooth but not stiff batter.
Mix as little as possible; do not knead the dough.
Bake
Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto well-greased pans.
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until done.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the main structure once moistened and gently mixed.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when moistened and heated, lifting the biscuits as they bake.
- Bacon fat
- Keeps the dough tender by coating flour particles and shortening the gluten network.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour to form a batter while staying cold to keep the fat solid.
The step that matters
Mix as little as possible. Overmixing develops gluten, making the biscuits tough and dense instead of light and tender. Cold water and quick handling keep the fat solid, which helps create flaky layers.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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